Do you have photos of your child with his or her birth mom? Frame them and display them alongside other family photos in your home.

2. Speak kindly.

When talking about your child’s birth family, speak kindly and respectfully. Your child will learn how to talk about his or her birth family based on your example.

3. Initiate conversations.

Provide a safe place for your child to talk about his or her birth family. Take the initiative to start conversations with your child on holidays, birthdays, or other important days. Remind your child it’s okay to think about his or her birth family and wonder how they’re doing.

4. Remember birth families on important days.

Encourage your child to send a note, photos or artwork to their birth family on holidays or other days important to his or her birth family. If your child has accomplished something big, consider helping him share it with his birth mother.

5. Honor cultural traditions.

Learn about your child’s birth country and traditions. Find ways to implement cultural differences into your own family as a way for your child to honor and stay connected with biological roots.

Encourage your child to keep his or her word with loved ones, including birth parents. Keep any scheduled meetings or phone calls with your child’s birth family unless an unexpected conflict arises.

Shelley Skuster

Shelley is a former award-winning television journalist who traded in suit coats and red lipstick for a messy bun and yoga pants. She's a freelance writer who stays at home with her three daughters who are all ((gasp)) under the age of three and came to her via adoption and birth. She's the woman behind the blog Shelley Writes, and she can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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